Mining machine



June 15 192 7 1588,563

W. J. WILSON MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, N921 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 June15,1926.

W. J. WILSON MINING MACHINE Fife Dec. 19, 1921' v sheets sheet 2 June15,1926. 1,588,563

W. J. WILSQN MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1-9, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 willJune 15 1926.

w. J. WILSON MINING MACHINE "7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 19, 1921 I I 1I J," E ii I M i I I k 46 a M:

walienl ZUZ'ZJWZ June 15 1926. (A

w. J. WILSON MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ilfqlfer J Wilson June 15 1926."

W. J. WILSON MINING 'MACHINE- Filed Dec. 19, 1921 '7 sh eets sheet 6June 15 1926. 1,588,563

w. J. WILSON MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1921- 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 7il/alfcrJZUZZS Patented June 15, 1926.

miner in mining coal or the like. Further UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wanna wmsou, or 5 m, rm'msnvanin.

' me nom- Application ma December 19, 1921. Serial no. 523,453.

This invention relates to a combined minin the principal objects of theinvention is to simulate the picking action of an individual objects ofthe invention are: to provide improved means for carrying the cuttersinto the material to be mined; to rovide breaking down means between t ecutters; to provide improved means for carrying away the material mined;'to provide adjustable means for carrying the cutting chains; to provideadjustable means for confining the material mined until it is withdrawnby the loading mechanism; and in general, to pro-' duce the machineherein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machineconstructed in accordance with the principles of this invention; Fig; 2is a side elevation of such a machine; 'Fig. 3 is a section taken on theline 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a top view of one of the cutter arms; Fig.5 is a side elevation; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the cutterbits and itsvholder; Fig. 7 is a section taken on'the line 77 of Fig. 3;Fig. 8 is a modification illustrating a shoe in place of a wheel forsupporting the cutter arms; Fig. 9 illustrates a machine like Fig. 2with a modified form of cutting arm; Fig. 10 illustrates a modificationin which the cutting arms are raised by a separate power device; andFig. 11 is a plan view of the machine shown by Fi 10. a

n this invention the cutting chains of each arm and the cutting bits-ofeach chain are staggered relatively with respect to the adjacent ones,so that a variable picking action is produced, andin addition, eachcutting chain is given a waving movement and also an eccentricoscillating movement so that the chainsas a whole are advanced andwithdrawn alternately with respect to the face of the work. 'Each bitlink is also provided with a projection which acts as a conveyor pocketto carry the broken-down material to the loading conveyor. The raisingor lowering of the cutting arms may be effected by manual or motorpower, and

suitable driving means and connections are 7 provided for operating thevarious mech anisms from a slngle drivingmotor.

and loading machine, and one of carriage in t Referring now moreparticularlyto the drawmgs, a shdmg mac for supporting 'a roof jack 3and a machine rack 4. A machine carria e 5 is slidably mounted in theframe, and as a worm gear 6 to en age the rack 4 for moving the e frame.A motor 7 mountedupon the carriage has a geared connection 8 witli ajack shaft 9 upon which is a driv-,

ing. gear 10 connected by a driving chain 11 wlth'a'movable'driver 12loosely mounted upon a cross shaft 13. A gear 14 is also mounted uponthe jack shaft 9 and it is connected by means of a driving chain 15 witha sprocket 16 upon the cutting chain drive shaft .17.' A clutch 18controls the engagement of the gear 14 with the jack shaft 9. On thecross shaft 13 is a "feed worm 19 engaging with a gear 20 on a shaft 21upon whlch the worm gear 6 is mounted for movmg the machine carriagewith respect to the frame. At one side of the .driver 12 is a drivingconnection 22 with a winding drum is a clutch collar 24 so that themovement of the driver shaft 23 and at the other side ing it with adriving connection 28" attached to the drum w'indin shaft 23. Thisconnection is for controlhng .the drivin movement of a wmding' drum 29mounte u on the shaft 23 and having a friction c utch 30. With thisconstructlon it is obvious that the carriage ma be moved relat vely tothe frame 1n eitver direction by reversing the direction of the motor 7,and} also-the carriage 5 may be operated in either direction from themotor without reversing its direction, the gear 19 bein 'driven eitherdirectly through clutch co lar 24 or.reverse1y through driving conineframe or pan 1 is provided with a braced cross piece 2 nection 22, shaft23, driving connection 28,

clutch 28, 26 and 25, the latter being connected to the shaft 13 onwhich gear 19 is mounted. This permits the cutter chain to run in onedirection even though the carriage feed is reversed. The cable drum maybe wound up by power and payed out, while the motor is stopped, by usingthe friction clutch. A ratchet 31 and a locking dog 29 are also providedfor holding the winding drum in any desired position.

At the forward end of the carriage 5 are a pair of spaced cutting arms33 mounted to swing upon the cutting chain shaft 17, and a conveyor belt34 has a driving connection 35 with the cutting chain shaft which causesthe conveyor to be operated whenever the cutting chain shaft 17 isoperated. This conveyor is provided with flights 36, it is mounted inthe carriage 5 and has one or more guide shoes 37 to guide it in itsmovement. The bottom of the carriage 5 constitutes the surface uponwhich the conveyor flights 36 remove the broken-down material, and theforward end38 of the bottom of the carrier is turned upwardly to receivematerial from the cuttin chains and guide it into the path of theconveyor ts 36. ach cutting arm 33 com rises side plates 39 withattached bearing p ates 40 in which the cuttin chain drive shaft 17 ismounted. At the ot ier end of the side plates 39 are bearing plates 41in which a cross shaft 42 is mounted. There are a plurality of cuttingchains 43 for each arm, and each cutter chain is mounted upon a pair ofeccentric sprockets 44 and 45 one attached to the cutting chain shaft 17and the other mounted on the cross shaft 42. A uide plate 46 is attachedat the bottom of t e side plates 39 and forms a backin for the cutterchains, and at the top of t e side 1plates is a top plate 47, theuppersurface 0 which is wavy or uneven to give the links of the cutter chainsan undulating movement as they pass over the plate.

Intermediate the ends of each cutting arm are bearings 48 verticallyad'ustable in open-- ings 49 in the side plates y an adjusting screw 50.A. shaft 51 is mounted in the bearin s and carries a plurality of wheels52 pre erably disposed between adjacent cutter chains and constituting ameans for ad- 'justably sup orting the cutting arms upon the floor of te mine.

Each cutter chain comprises a plurahty of bit links 53 and intermediateconnecting links 54. Each bit link has a socket to receive a cutter bit55, either straight or inclined to one side, the different bits beingalternated in accordance with well known ractice. A fastening device 56is provided or removablysecuring any bit inia socket. Projectingrearwardly from each bit link is an extension 57, the outer end 58 ofwhich is turned upwardly but below the u ward projection of the bits 55,and the si es 59 of the extension are inclined outwardly from the bitsforming pockets or carriers of scoping extension 61, the forward dependin sides being cut away and the front end 62 b6111 bent inwardly, asshown more clearly in Figure 2, so that the extension will engage theuncut material directly over the cutter chains and will be pushedinwardly by such engagement. Resilient means is also provided tending tomove the extension 61 for- W wardly. This means may comprise a pair ofbrackets 63, one mounted on the cover 60 and the other on the extension61. A red 64 extends through the brackets and has headed extremities forreventing disengagement therefrom, and surrounding the rod between thebrackets is an extensible spring 65. The extension 61 is thereforeressed inwardly by engagement with the wall of the mine and is pressedoutwardly by the spring 65, so that the cutter chains are substantiallycovered at all times. This confines the mined material to the coveredtrough thus provided, reduces the dust and forms a more efficientcarrier for depositing the material in the path of the conveyor 34. Theextension 61 may also be provided with trap doors or hinged portions '61at the forward end which may be swung back to provide clearance for thecutter arms.

At the inner side of each cutting-arm is a projection 66, connectedby ashaft 67 with a cable 68-connected thereto and fastening upwardly over afixed ulley 69 mounted in upstanding fixed arms 70.. The cable passesrearwardly over the winding drum 29 which may beoperated in eitherdirection as previously explained. In some cases, as for instance whenthe outer end of the cutter arm is swung upwardly toward the roof of themine, the extension 61 might prevent the arm from moving upwardly as faras desired and in such case the hinged portion may be swung back toallow for such movement of the arm.

Instead of having elevating wheels 52 for each cutting arm, slidin'shoes 71 may be provided, as shown in ig. 8, adjustably mounted aspreviously explained on an adjustable cross bearing.

In the construction shown in Fig. 9 the cutting arm is provided withfixed concentrio sprockets 72 at the underside over which the cutterchains will pass, the end sprockets 44 and 45 being eccentricallymounted as previously explained, and the cutter chains passing over thewavy plate at the top of the cutting arm. This construction makes atriangular or inclined bottom out and the struction of Fig. 9 themachine carriage is. first advanced and then the cutting arm is of thecutter arm. A straight cutter arm' started in at an angle will not cutthe proper clearance for the second out. With the conraised by thecable.- In the construction of Fig. 2 the forward movement of themachine carriage causesthe roper cut to be made, the cuttin arm ri ingupwardly in passes over a fixed the cut made b t e cutter chains onwheels 52, or sliding s oes 71.

' In the construction shown by Figs. 10 and 11, a straight cutting arm73 may beralsed as before explained, by; a cable 68 which ulley 6.9, butinstead of heapower operated windi eing connected to t I ly operatedwinding ing'drum 29, a man drum 74 is mounted between side standards 75which are carriedby the sliding frame 1 and upon this drum 74 the cable68 1s wound by means of a hand winding gear 76 which has holdinge dogs77. A friction drive which may nection with the winding drum 29controlled by a hand wheel may alsobe provided, to let the cable 68pay'out as the machine car riage is fed inwardly so that the 'cuttingarms 73 will not start to raise until desired or such paying out may bedone manually by the manual winding means for the drum 74. The reasonfor this is apparent as the standards 75 are fixed and the machinecarriage as well as the arms 70 are movable,

as the cable 68 passes over the pulley 69 at the top of the arm 70, theforward movement of the carriage will cause the cutting arm 73 to raisewhich might not be desired at that time although the height of the cutis controlled by the raising or action of the cutting arms.- This is theway the vertical cut is-made in this form, as no sup- .porting wheelsare provided for the cutting arms.

The'mounting of the windin drum 74 in the standards 75 'must be at a(tight above all the machinery on the carriage 5 so that the carriagecan pass freely between the standards. At the top of each standard aroof jack is commonly provided to give additlonal stability to themachine frame 1.

In the construction thus described, the cutting arms arespaced apart adistance approximately equa to the width of their cut so thatin cuttinga passage they are inclined first at one side of the passage, asindicated in Fig. 1, and then at the other, thus makin sufiicientclearance for the machine and or the cutters themselves. -The eccentricmounting of each cutter chain is staggered oralternated with. respect tothe adjacent one; the bits of each chain are staggered or alternatedwith respect to their similar to that shown in con-' thereon engagingthe path of cutting; and all of the chains are I h subjected to the wavymovement produced by the top plate of the cutting arms.

The shape of the cuttin arm should be chosen to best accomplish t efeeding action and the angle at which the arm is 'r into the material tobe mined willfdtermine the de th of'the out. By having the arm curved atthe bottom the number of cutting bits engaged is increased, tending tooverbalance t e pressure of those above at the top and end, and in thisway to feed or assist in' feeding the arm upward into the material to bemined. The overhanging material'above the top bits is relieved andwillbe broken off in large coarse cuttings. The operation is therefore anintermittently contlnuous pickin action and all the material includingthat etween the cuts is wedged or picked 'by an action which mates thatof an individual I- claim:

thus approximmer.

of the carriageand movable in a vertical plane, a conveyor also mountedin the carmega and comprising a bottom plate with an upward extensionjust below the inner end ofthe arm, a'movable belt with flights plate tomove material rearwardly, and cutting means carried by the arm for deositing mined material at the inner end of t tension of said plate.

2. In a mining machine, a movable carr1age,-a conveyor on the undersidethereof, a cutting arm pivoted for vertical movement at the forward endofthe carriage,

fcutting means carried by the arm and movable to discharge brokendownmaterial over the upper side of the arm and in the path of thec0nveyor,.and a common drive for the cutting means and the conveyorcomprising a drive shaft concentric with the axis of the cutting arm anda double connection therefrom one to operate the conveyor and the otherextending to a power operated means on the carriage.

3. In a'mining machine,

able cutting arm ivotally supported at one e arm and on the upward exavertically mov- I end, a driving shaft concentric with. the v I pivotalsupport, a cutter chain movable upon the arm, and a driving wheel whichis mounted eccentrically on its axis for driving the chalin from aconstant movement of the driving shaft.

4. In a'mining machine, a cutter chain, a continuous driver therefor,sprocket Wheel on said driverfor moving the chain, the

pitch line of said sprocket wheel being at different distances it isconstantly impelled by the continuous driver. a

5. In a mining machine, an endless cutter chain, an eccentric supporttherefor, and

from the axis although 70 st fed chain is mounted, and meansforopcrating the chain.

7. In a mining machine, a plurality of endless cutter chains, a.separate eccentric mounting for each chain, and a common n'icans fordriving the chains.

,8. In a mining machine, a cutter chain, a

pair of sprockets upon which the chain is mounted for irregularmovement, and a support for the chain between the sprockets having anuneven surface for engagement by the cham.

said projections will convey the broken down material with the chainthrough the confining means and deposit the material at the inner end ofthe arm.

15.- In a mining machine, the combination withdrawing each chainrelatively to the 9. In a mining machine, a cutting arm 1 comprising aplurality of cutter chains, a pair of eccentric sprockets for each chainand a support for the chains between the sprockets comprising an unevensurface upon which the chains slide.

10. In a mining machine, an endless cutter chain mounted on theeccentric sprockets, a support for the chain between the sprocketscomprising an uneven surface upon 2 which the chain rides.

11. A cutter arm for a mining machine having drivin and guiding wheels,a cutter chain mounted on said wheels. and an undulating track forsupporting the chain intermediate of the wheels whereby the chain willbegiven an undulating movement as it passes along the track.

12. In a mining machine, a vertically movable arm pivoted at one end, aplurality of cutter chains mounted on the arm for movement in verticalplanes, and adjustable supports between the chains and intermediate theends of the arm for predetermining the height of the cutter chains fromthe floor at this point.

13. In a mining machine, a cutting arm pivoted at one end, a lurality ofendless chains, separate eccentric supports for the chains at each endof the arm, adjustable means intermediate the ends of the arms forsupporting and guiding it, a common driver for the chains, and a supportat the top of the arm having an uneven surface engaged by the chains forfurther varying their movement.

14. In a mining machine, a vertically movable arm, an endless chaincarried thereby comprising bit links with an upstanding rearwardprojection, means at the top of the arm for confining broken downmaterial, and

' driving means for the chains whereby the adjacent one.

comprising a plurality of parallel endless chains, means for impartingan intermittent advancing movement to each chain at the end of the arm,and means carried by the arm for independently imparting to each chainan, undulating movement between the extremities of the arm.

18. In a mining machine, a cutting arm pivoted for movement about oneend, a plurality of parallel endless chains, means for moving the chainsfor variable advancing movement at the outer end of the arm, and meansfor bodily moving the arm.

.19; In a mining machine, a cutting arm comprising a plurality ofcutting chains mounted for variablemovement on the arm,

means for moving the arm, a cover for the arm extending over the topofthe chains and comprising a spring pressed telescoping section adaptedto engage the wall. of the material to be mined at the side of thearmand to substantially cover the upper portion of the chains outside ofthe cut made thereby.

20. In a mining machine, a frame, a car- 1 carrier and terminating atthe bottom there-.

of just below the inner end of the arm, and means in connection witheach chain for carrying mined material with the chains through the coverand depositing the material in the path of the conveyor.

WALTER J. WILSON.

